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Author: Stephen Weller
683 words, 4 minutes read time

A Brilliant Response

Scripture: Matthew 22:18-19, 22; Mark 12:15-17; Luke 20:26

We ended the previous lesson with the spies waiting for Jesus to respond to their question about paying taxes to Caesar. As in the past when difficult questions were asked, Jesus always had an appropriate answer that silenced and often shamed them.

^{Mk 12:15} But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, ^{Mt 22:18} “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin for the tax. ^{Mk 12:15} Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” ¹⁶ And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”

Jesus understood what these spies were up to and he addresses them as hypocrites. Hypocrite is used fifteen times in the new testament; twelve times in Matthew, once here in Mark, and twice in Luke. To these that he identifies as hypocrites, as ones who pretend to be something that they are not, he instructs them to show him a coin for the tax, a denarius to look at.

Do you suppose they had any idea that Jesus was about to silence them as they brought him the requested coin? Jesus looks at the coin and then directs their attention to it and asks them whose likeness and inscription they saw. They look and respond back, saying, “Caesar’s.” I doubt that they knew what Jesus would say next.

^{Mk 12:17} Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Jesus is establishing two realms by his statement to them; the realm of government and the realm of God. As a result, government has a right to charge people taxes and people should pay them and obey the laws of government. There are, however, matters that belong to the realm of God, but in his statement, Jesus does not point out further what matters belong in which realm. Clearly there should be separation between them. Government should allow freedom in matters of religious doctrine, worship, and beliefs about God, and the church should not attempt to use the power of government to enforce allegiance to any specific religious viewpoint. When there is not proper separation, the result is usually at the expense of compromise of the church.

Jesus removes himself from their cleaver trap by instructing them to “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Jesus does not say whether the Roman government is just or unjust but does imply that they have the right to levy a tax. However, if government requires something that is not acceptable to God then obedience to God would transcend that matter. As I study the harmonization narrative and see Jesus make simple but yet such profound statements as this one, I with the people who were with Jesus, marvel.

^{Mt 22:22} When they heard it, ^{Mk 12:17} they marveled at him, ^{Lk 20:26} and were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent ^{Mt 22:22} and they left him and went away.

When these spies heard the reply from Jesus, they marveled at what he said and realized that they were not able in the presence of the people listening to catch him in saying something that would result in a negative response from either Roman authorities or the people. As they continue to think about his response, they become silent and departed from him.

Conclusion

When questions arise, we might find better answers if we relied more on our relationship with God, prayer and his word. In the western culture, we as believers, tend to rely on ourselves and the ways of the world as our first source of answers and miss the wisdom that could be ours by allowing God to guide us in our answers or responses.